Weighing scale



Oct. 4, 1932- E. G. THOMAS 1,830,575

WEIGHING SCALE Original Filed Jan. 5, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l idward 6 Tia/m6 INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY.

Oct. 4, 1932. THOMAS 1,880,575

WEIGHING SCALE Original Filed Jan. 5, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 cm am 6. 7770/7706 mv A OR AT'T'ORNE.

Patented Oct. 4, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWARD G. THOMAS, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO TOLEDO SCALE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY WEIGI-IING SCALE This application is a division of United States application 244,593, for weighing scales, filed January 5, 1928, which is a continuation in part of application 661,773, forflow controlling scales, filed September The invention relates to devices for securing uniformity of product, and particularly ,to devices for producing uniformly coated or impregnated material. In the manufacture of such products as, for example, oil cloth, coated fabrics, artificial leathers and the like, it is desirable to coat or impregnate a continuously moving strip of fabric with a certain amount of compound per unit of length so that the finished product will be of uniform weight and character. In many processes for manufacturing such products .the gaging or checking of the amount of compound being applied depends wholly upon the skill and vigilance of the operator, who usually estimates from the appearance of the product in the course of manufacture -whether or not the amount of the coating 7 compound should beincreased or decreased.

The principal object of this invention is to provide automatic means for insuring the incorporation in each strip of material of .a definite quantity of coating or impreg- 'nating compound. It is to be understood,

however, that my invention is not limited to devices for treating sheet material with liquids or semi-solids, but that it is also applicable for use with devices for treating body material of other forms, such as cordage and series of separate pieces. It may be used for controlling the rate of supply of granular material for application to sandpaper, or the supply of comminuted material to be applied to sheet roofing.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means for automatically controlling the flow of coating or impregnating compound whereby the rat-e at which said compound is supplied to the material is kept in definite ratio to the rate at which the product is turned out.

Another object is the provision of means whereby the flow controlling apparatus may be adjusted to supply the compound at a rate Original application filed January 5, 1928, Serial No. 244,593. Divided and this application filed June 29,

. Serial No. 547,483.

in any desired ratio to the rate at which the product is delivered.

Another object is the provision of simple means for indicating to the operator the correct amount of compound in the trough surrounding the coating roll.

Still a further object is the provision of automatic means for controlling or delivering a constant flow of compound to the coat-- ing apparatus which is directly proportional to the rate of movement of the coated product.

Other objects and advantages will be ap parent from the following description, in which reference is had to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein similar reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings Figure I is a front elevational view of a device embodying my invention Figure II is an enlarged fragmentary sectional detail view showing the compound controlling valves and operating mechanism.

Figure III is an enlarged fragmentary front elevational view with parts removed to show pendulum load-counterbalancing mechanism and connections.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the mechanism is principally supported upon two pairs of fixed standards 1 and 2 which are joined together at their upper ends by means of a frame 3. One standard of each pair is positioned at the rear of the standard shown in Figure I and is hidden from view by the standard illustrated in the figure. The standards 1 are provided with brackets 5, upon which is journaled the coating drum 6, and brackets 7 and 8 which support guide drums 9 and 10. The material 4 to be coated is passed around the guide drums 9 and 10, engaging the periphery of the coating drum 6, thence under another guide drum 13 supported upon brackets 14 carried by the standards 2, and is finally collected upon a roller journaled in bearings mounted in the upper end of supporting standards 15.

The lowermost portion of the periphery of the coating drum 6 is in continuous engagement with the cylindrical surface of a supplemental drum 17 pa tially immersed in the coating or impregnating compound 18, the compound being contained in an elongated pan or trough 19. A certain amount of the compound 18 adheres to the surface of the dipping drum 17, the major portion of which is transferred to the surface of the Coating drum 6, thence onto the material 4. The quantity of coating'compound that adheres to the sheet material 4 as it passes over the drum 6 depends upon the quantity of the compound in the trough 19. It is, therefore, imperative that a constant quantity of compound be maintained in the trough to insure a uniform coating upon the material 4. The trough 19 is, therefore, supported upon levers 21 (only one of which is shown) fulcrumed upon standards 22, the nose end of 7 one of the levers 21 being connected by means of a link 23 to a pendulum load-counter balancing element 24 and an indicator 25 adapted to co-operate with a chart 26, the mechanism being supported within a housing 27 fixedly supported upon an extended portion of the frame 3. It will be apparent that an increase or dimunition of the quantity of compound in the trough 19 from a predetermined quantity will cause the indicator 25 to be moved out of registration with the central graduation'on the chart 26 and indicate to the operator that the quantity of compound in the trough is not correct. He may then adjust the temperature of the compound, the pressure of the rolls or other controls to restore the liquid to proper level.

The compound in the trough is replenished from a supply tank 28 through the outlet pipe 29 which registers with the enlarged mouth of a tube 31 leading into the trough 19. The outlet pipe is provided with a master valve 32 located at the lower end of a chamber 33 containing a manually controlled valve 35 operated by means of a hand wheel 36 and an automatic valve 37 operated by means of an electrically energized solenoid 38. The valve 35 is normally opened sufficiently to permit compound to pass from the tank 28 to the trough 19 at a rate somewhat less than the rate at which it is deposited upon the strip of sheet material. The supplemental valve "37 is controlled by a device the purpose of which is to cause the compound to be discharged. from the supply tank 28 at a rate which is directly proportional to the rate at which the sheet of material passes over the coating drum 6 for any desired weight of coating per unit of length of the sheet material.

A weight 38 is suspended in the coating compound within the tank 28, the weight depending from one end of a lever 39 suitably fulcrumed on a bracket 40 mounted upon the upper extremity of one of the standards 1. The lever 39 is connected intermediate its ends to a second lever 41 fulcrumed upon a bracket 42 depending from the frame 3 and having a counterweight 41' with adjustable balance ball fixed opposite its fulcrum from its connection to the lever 39 to assist in supporting the weight of the lever 39 and in bringing the weight mechanism readily into balance. The lever 41 is formed with a beam 45 upon which is slidably mounted a movable bracket 46 carrying a knife edge pivot 47 which is connected by means of a stirrup rod 47' and a transmitting lever 47 to the automatic load-counterbalancing pendulums 48 supported Within the watcli-case-shaped housing 49. The pendulums 48 are connected in the usual way by means of rack and pinion mechanism (not shown) to a hand 50 so that the angular position of the hand is dependent upon the quantity of compound in the supply tank 28. The head 49 is slidably supported upon the frame 3 and is moved along the frame by means of a hand wheel 51 co-operating with suitable rack and pinion mechanism" (not shown).

The mounting of the pendulum mechanism and its connection to the beam 45 are the same as in the well-known Toledo yardage scale and are fully illustrated and described in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,656,454. Since they themselves are not the subject of this application, I have illustrated them only in suflicient detail to show the relation of the other features of my invention to them.

Secured to the head 49 so as to be movable therewith is an upright 52, and revolubly supported at its upper end is a positioned worm wheel (not shown) meshing with a vertically positioned worm 53 fixedly secured to the upper end of a shaft 54, the lower end.

of the shaft 54 being equipped with a bevel gear 55. The gear 55 is in constant mesh with a similar bevel gear 56 slidably carried upon a horizontal shaft 57 revolubly supported in bearing brackets 58 mounted upon the frame 3. One end ofthe shaft 57 is provided with a bevel gear 59 meshing with a similar gear 60 secured to the upper end of a vertically positioned shaft 61, and secured to the lower end of the shaft is a worm wheel 62 in mesh with and adapted to be driven by a worm gear 63 connected to the coating drum 6.

Connected to the worm wheel carried by the brackets 52 is a movable hand 65 arranged in juxtaposition to the hand 50 controlled by the position of the load-counterbalancing mechanism, the hands being equipped. with electrical contacts which are brought into engagement in a manner to effect a closing of the circuit energizing the solenoid 38, thus opening the valve 37.

The operation of the device is as follows: Assuming that the machine is operating, the material or fabric to be coated passing over the coating drum 6 collects a coating of the compound which has been picked up from the drum 17 that rotates in the compound carried in the trough 19. The indication at 26 is provided to indicate to the operator whether the predetermined quantity of com pound in the trough 19 is constantly main tained. If the indicator swings to the left,

' 45. The less the distance between the pivot 46 and the fulcrum of the lever 41, the greater the pull exerted by the weight 38 and the greater the angular movement of the hand 50 for a given decrease in the volume of the contents of the tank 28. By moving the slide 46 along the beam the device may, therefore, be set to cause the rate of movement of the hand to be in any desired ratio to the rate of decrease of the contents of the tank 13v 7 this means it is possible to control the thick ness of the compound to be taken up by the strip of material 4, the position of the slide being indicated by the indicator 66 co-operating with the graduated bar 67.

Before the coating machine is set in motion, the operator, by means of the hand wheel 51, moves the head 49 and associated mechanism horizontally until the indicating plate 66 registers with the graduation indicating the i 3 amount of coating compound to be used per .unit of length of material to be coated. The

initial position of the load-counterbalancing mechanism is immaterial, as the only function of this mechanism is to cause the indicator 5O 3 to move at a rate proportional to the rate of flow of the compound past the valve 37. The indicator 50, therefore, moves in a clockwise direction, the load-counterbalanoing pendulums offsetting a continuously increasing weight which is equivalent to the apparent increase in downward pull of the weight 38 due to the decrease in the buoying effect of the fluid upon the weight 38 as the level of the compound in the tank 28 is lowered. The

' indicator 50, therefore, travels at a rate proportional to the rate of decrease of the fluid compound displaced by the weight 38. The manually controlled valve 35 is opened by means of the hand wheel 36 so that the rate of flow of compound is slightly less than that which experiment has determined is required to coat the material to the desired thickness or weight per square yard. Simultaneously with the flow of compound past the valve 35, the arm is being rotated in the same direction as the hand 50 through the medium of the system of gearing hereinbefore described connected to and driven by the coating drum 6. Should the flow of compound from the tank 28 be less than the required amount, the arm (35 will move faster than the hand 50 controlled by the weighing mechanism and engage the latter, thereby closing the electrical circuit and energizing the solenoid 38 to open the supplemental valve 37 and increase the rate of flow of the compound into the trough 19. This increased rate of flow continues until enough additional fluid has been drawn from the supply tank to cause the weight controlled hand 50 to move away from the arm 65, thus separating the contacts and breaking the solenoid circuit and permitting the valve 38 to close by gravity and decrease the rate of flow of the compound. In this manner the rate of flow of the compound is automatically maintained uniform, thus obviating the necessity of employing a skilled workman to regulate the coating by conjecture.

The indicator 25 shows the operator whether or not the predetermined quantity of compound is being maintained in the trough 19. If the indicator registers under or over of the central mark upon the chart 26, the operator knows that the compound collecting drum is placing too much or too little compound upon the strip material and he must either change the rate of flow of the compound by adjusting the hand wheel 36 or the viscosity of the compound by regulating the heat applied in the tubes 70. As the control of the viscosity of the compound forms no part of this invention, it is not described herein.

The embodiment of my invention herein shown and described is to be regarded as illustrative only, and it is to be understood that the invention is susceptible to variation, modification and change within the spirit and scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In mechanism for continuously producing product consisting of a plurality of components, in combination, a revolving member, means for causing said member to revolve at a rate proportional to the rate of supply by measure of one of said components, a second revolving member, means for causing said second revolving member to revolve at a rate proportional to the change of weight of another of said components, and means responsive to variations in the relative rates of revolt ion of said revolving members for controlling the change of weight of the last mentioned component.

2. in mechanism for producing a product consisting of a plurality of components, a pivoted arm, means for causing said arm to swing about its pivot at a rate proportional to the rate of supply by measure of one of suspended member, and mechanism co-opermg a product conslsting of a plurality of said components, a hand pivoted co-axially with said arm, weighlng mechanism connected to said hand, means for causing said weighing mechanism to swing said hand about its pivot at a rate proportional to the rate of supply by Weight of another of said components, and means controlled by changes in the relative rate of movement of said arm and said hand for controlling the rate of supply by weight of the last said component.

8. In mechanism for continuously producing a product consisting of a plurality of components, in combination, a member moving at a rate proportional to the rate of supply by measure of one of said components, another member arranged to move at a rate proportional to the change of weight of another of said components, mechanism for maintaining the rates of movement of said components in a substantially constant ratio, and means whereby said members co-operate to control said mechanism. r

4. In mechanism for continuously produc ing a product consisting of a plurality of components, in combination, means for delivering body material, means for delivering treating material from a supply tank, an element suspended in said tank, and means cooperating with said element for controlling the rate of flow of said treating material from said supply tank.

5. In mechanism for continuously produc ing a product consisting of a plurality of components, in combination, means for delivering body, material, a supply tank adapt-ed to contain a treating compound, means for applying said treating compound to said body material, a member suspended in said supply tank, weighing mechanism connected to said ating with said weighing mechanism for regulating the rate of flow of fluid from said supply tank.

6. In mechanism for continuously produccomponents, in combination means for de livering body material, means for applying a treating compound to said body material, a supply tank containing said compound, a member suspended in the compound in said supply tank, lever mechanism supporting said suspended member, loadcounterbalancing mechanism connected to said lever mechanism, and means co-operating with said 'Ioad-counterbalancing mechanism for controllin an electric circuit for regulating the flow of compound from the supply tank.

. In mechanism for continuously producing a product consisting of a plurality of components means for delivering one of said components, a container for another of said components, means whereby said components are caused to adhere together, and means connected to said container for indicating variations in the rate of accretion of one component to the other.

8. In a device of the class described, in combination, means for delivering a sheet of material, means for applying liquid treating compound to said material, a tank for said fluid compound, means comprising loadcounterbalancing and indicating mechanism "for regulating the flow of said liquid compound, and means comprising a separate lead-counterbalancing element for indicating variations in the rate of accretion of said compound to the sheet material.

9. In a device of the class described, in combination, means for delivering a sheet of material, means for applying liquid treating compound to said sheet of material, weighing mechanism adapted to be affected by the change in volume of a supply of liquid compound, an electrically operated valve, and means whereby said valve is controlled by the weighing mechanism for regulating the flow of the compound from the said supply.

10. In a device of the class described, in combination, means for delivering a sheet of material, means for applying liquid treating compound to said sheet of material, weighin g mechanism adapted to be aflected by the change in volume of a supply of liquid compound, an electrically operated valve, means whereby said valve is controlled by the weighing mechanism for regulating the flow of the compound from the said supply, and means including separate weighing mechanism for indicating variations in the rate of accretion of said compound to the sheet of material.

11. In a device of the class described, in combination, means for delivering a sheet of material, means for applying liquid treating compound to said material, a receptacle normally containing a supply of liquid compound, weighing mechanism, means whereby said weighing mechanism is affected by a change of volume of the compound in the supply receptacle, an electrically actuated valve receptacle for regulating the flow of said compound from the supply receptacle controlled by said weighing mechanism, and means whereby said flow regulating means may be selectively set for a plurality of rates of accretion of the compound to said sheet material.

12. In a device of the class described, in combination, means for delivering a sheet of material, means for applying liquid treating compound to said material, a receptacle normally containing a supply of liquid compound, weighing mechanism, means whereby said weighing mechanism is affected by a change of volume of the compound in the supply receptacle, an electrically actuated valve in id receptacle for regulating the flow of said compound from the supply receptacle controlled by said Weighing mechanism, means whereby said flow regulating means may be selectively set for a plurality of rates of accretion of the compound to said sheet material, and means comprising vein-hing mechanism for indicating Variations in the rate of accretion.

EDWARD G. THOMAS 

